Arrest warrant against Bimal Gurung, wife, Chhetri and 20 others

Kolkata: A city court today issued warrants of arrest against Gorkha Janmukti Morcha(GJM) president Bimal Gurung, his wife Asha, party MLA Harka Bahadur Chettri and 20 others in connection with the murder of All India Gorkha League leader Madan Tamang.

Acting Chief Judge Gopal Karmakar of City Sessions Court issued the warrants on a prayer by CBI which is investigating the murder of Tamang in Darjeeling town on May 21, 2010.

The court directed the investigating agency to file a report on execution of the order on June 26. CBI had on May 29 filed a charge sheet against the GJM leaders levelling charges of murder and criminal conspiracy for the killing of Tamang.

The investigating agency had filed the final supplementary charge sheet before the court against Gurung, who is also the chief of Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA), Asha, GJM MLA from Kalimpong Harkabahadur Chettri, GJM Assistant General Secretary Binoy Tamang, GTA chairman Pradeep Pradhan, Deputy Chief Executive of GTA Col Ramesh Allay and 17 others for criminal conspiracy, murder and other charges.

Prime accused in the case Nickol Tamang had, however, disappeared mysteriously from Pintail village near Siliguri, where he was being held by state CID on August 21, 2010 for interrogation following his arrest.

Pema Tamang, wife of Nickol Tamang, had moved a habeas corpus petition before the Calcutta High Court praying that her husband be traced.

The High Court had then directed CBI to take up the Madan Tamang murder case and the Nickol Tamang disappearance case. Madan Tamang had been hacked to death in Darjeeling town when he was overseeing preparations for a public meeting.